American wins Main Event of World Series of Poker Europe

U.S. poker professional Elio Fox had to go to Cannes, France, to win his first World Series of Poker championship bracelet.

Fox, 25, of New York captured the Main Event in the World Series of Poker Europe on Thursday, topping a field of 593 players in the no-limit hold'em tournament and earning more than $1.9 million.

Before winning the Main Event, Fox had relative small success on the live poker circuit. His most notable victory was at the Bellagio Cup in July, when he earned $680,000.

Fox played in 17 events during last summer's World Series of Poker at the Rio, but he did not cash once.

"I think the most important thing to me is knowing whether I played well," Fox said after the victory. "I get really hard on myself when I play poorly. Obviously, winning a lot of money is a great feeling."

The runner-up to Fox was Chris Moorman, a 26-year-old professional poker player who lives in Cyprus. He earned $1.1 million for his efforts.

The seven-event World Series of Poker Europe took place at the Hotel Majestic Barriére in the home of the famous international film festival. Fox was one of four Americans to win events.